# Waaaaaaa! Mold



## vstrommark (Oct 25, 2007)

Got in an order today. Box was damp, bad sign.

Here are the pics

http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~markem/Mold/

Reliable vendor, so they should be made good.

But two boxes of 01 black prince!!!


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## Papichulo (Jan 21, 2007)

vstrommark said:


> Got in an order today. Box was damp, bad sign.
> 
> Here are the pics
> 
> ...


that sucks. good luck.


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## hotreds (Dec 4, 2007)

OUCH! Thankfully vendor is reliable!


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## LasciviousXXX (Oct 12, 2004)

I would have kept them


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## newcigarz (Feb 11, 2007)

That sucks, But did the Monte's have mold also?

I would question this vendor's storage if multiple boxes and brands all had mold :2


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## Sandman (Mar 26, 2006)

That's a horrible sight. Sorry to see.


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## vstrommark (Oct 25, 2007)

newcigarz said:


> That sucks, But did the Monte's have mold also?
> 
> I would question this vendor's storage if multiple boxes and brands all had mold :2


I think that the problem was in shipping. The pics don't show it, but one box (the bottom one) has water damage on the bottom. One of the packs of Montes is quite moldy and the other has signs of heavy, recent water intrusion.

The shipping box was in the process of drying out, so the intrusion was likely shortly after shipping.


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## newcigarz (Feb 11, 2007)

vstrommark said:


> I think that the problem was in shipping. The pics don't show it, but one box (the bottom one) has water damage on the bottom. One of the packs of Montes is quite moldy and the other has signs of heavy, recent water intrusion.
> 
> The shipping box was in the process of drying out, so the intrusion was likely shortly after shipping.


Wow I did not realize it could develop that quickly. :hn


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## Bigga Petey (Mar 25, 2005)

That blows.

It's a hassle anytime you have to deal with something like that.


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## SmokinApe (Jun 20, 2007)

Are you sure that is mold? looks like plume to me...


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## 68TriShield (May 15, 2006)

Wipe em off and let them dry a bit....


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## Lanthor (Jun 16, 2007)

Sucks Mark, that is not plume. 
If it is the vendor I am thinking of, I get the sense they have shitty quality control in general, I stopped using them myself. 
They will make good, but what a pain.


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## vstrommark (Oct 25, 2007)

68TriShield said:


> Wipe em off and let them dry a bit....


I have wiped them off. Some have mold into the foot and some have enough water damage to the wrapper that it is falling off. Interestingly, some that show the worst discoloration appear to be salvageable. It looks like at least 8 cannot be salvaged because of wrapper/foot problems. I have the remainder set aside with a water pillow to see what happens with the vendor.

Both of the boxes containing the black princes have heavy water stains, so those boxes and cedar aren't even going into the same room as the coolerdors.

Should hear something tomorrow.

Only one stick had mold that penetrated the wrapper, so perhaps I'm a bit lucky here.


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## stevieray (Sep 28, 2006)

vstrommark said:


> I have wiped them off. Some have mold into the foot and some have enough water damage to the wrapper that it is falling off. Interestingly, some that show the worst discoloration appear to be salvageable. It looks like at least 8 cannot be salvaged because of wrapper/foot problems. *I have the remainder set aside with a water pillow *to see what happens with the vendor.
> 
> Both of the boxes containing the black princes have heavy water stains, so those boxes and cedar aren't even going into the same room as the coolerdors.
> 
> ...


Might not need the water pillow if mold is present already :2


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## vstrommark (Oct 25, 2007)

stevieray said:


> Might not need the water pillow if mold is present already :2


Dave (TriShield) and I chatted about that. Fixed.


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## Fishbeadtwo (May 30, 2006)

I know you like your cigars moist but that is a little extreme don't you think?
Sorry to hear about the wet stix Mark......Hopefully the vendor will make it right!


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## vicvitola (Mar 18, 2008)

68TriShield said:


> Wipe em off and let them dry a bit....


You know I have to agree. I have gotten a few boxes over the years with small amounts of white mold on them here and there. I have found that after dusting it off and wiping out the box well that as long as I kept them properly humidified after that the mold did not appear again and they smoked fine. I have never experienced the spreading of mold as I have heard horror stories of. Just my personal experience. Good luck.


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## worr lord (Feb 3, 2007)

vicvitola said:


> You know I have to agree. I have gotten a few boxes over the years with small amounts of white mold on them here and there. I have found that after dusting it off and wiping out the box well that as long as I kept them properly humidified after that the mold did not appear again and they smoked fine. I have never experienced the spreading of mold as I have heard horror stories of. Just my personal experience. Good luck.


I think it's more the fact that it's in the feet of some, and some aren't salvageable. Sucks when it happens to smokes that are in limited supply.


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## TanZ2005 (Jun 25, 2006)

Sorry to hear you WET STOGIES. I hope it is not anyone I would use! Could you PM me the Vendor so I don't use. I would hate to have that happen to me. 

James.


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## vicvitola (Mar 18, 2008)

worr lord said:


> I think it's more the fact that it's in the feet of some, and some aren't salvageable. Sucks when it happens to smokes that are in limited supply.


Yeah when it's actually inside the cigar they are done. Sorry to hear that. As some have said hopefully the vendor will step up and do the right thing.


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## ForestPuma (Jun 28, 2007)

Hopefully the vendor will correct the problem. Too bad though. The 01 Black Prince is a great smoke.


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## jjirons69 (Jul 15, 2007)

I would've cried!


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## CigarmanTim (Apr 5, 2008)

About makes me sick


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## joed (Nov 12, 2005)

that white mold - claudisporium - isn't really a problem at all.

The white mold is an airborn spore that is present everywhere - all the time.

This particular mold will grow with the least amount of moisture - it is the first mold to appear. It is a light surface mold and is easily removed. It will appear within 12 hours of introduction of moisture and goes dormant as soon as the moisture levels drop.

Quite frequently, the change in temperature caused by the pressurized cabin of an airplane will cause enough condensation (from cigars kept at ideal humidity by the way) to result in increased surface moisture on the cigar wrappers to allow this mold to appear. Usually, by the time the cigars reach normal temps, the moisture level is corrected and the mold is dormant. 

I would have kept the cigars - but - fresh ones aren't a bad thing. It's just not a heartbreaker to see the white, cloudy, fluffy mold on a cigar as many seem to think.

Good luck with your vendor - I am sure it will not be a problem.


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## vicvitola (Mar 18, 2008)

joed said:


> that white mold - claudisporium - isn't really a problem at all.
> 
> The white mold is an airborn spore that is present everywhere - all the time.
> 
> ...


It's iteresting to hear the science behind things. Would you happen to know what the health concerns are with smoking a cigar that had residue of this type of mold if any?


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## mash (Jul 24, 2007)

joed said:


> that white mold - claudisporium - isn't really a problem at all.
> 
> The white mold is an airborn spore that is present everywhere - all the time.
> 
> ...


I know the usual practice is to remove any sticks that have mold and 
quarantine them because the mold may spread. Following this logic, is it possible to wipe off any existing mold and leave the cigars where they are so long as the humidity level is kept in check? Anyone ever done this?
I ask this in part because I have a few sticks that I've wiped down, and I can't smoke them yet for medical reasons.


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## joed (Nov 12, 2005)

vicvitola said:


> It's iteresting to hear the science behind things. Would you happen to know what the health concerns are with smoking a cigar that had residue of this type of mold if any?


Claudisporium is considered a harmless mold. However, there are no federal standards regarding exposure to mold because everyone reacts differently. So, it's never safe to say that any particular mold is always harmless.

The reality is that this particular mold exists everywhere - each and every day we breath in more of this little critter that you can see on the "moldy sticks" that were described. If the human body did not have the ability to deal with inhaled mold spores - we would all be dead many times over.

Quarantine is not going to stop the spread of the mold. Like I said - it's everywhere all the time. You need to control the moisture - and that means a bit more than relative humidity - the one factor in the equation that many folks do not give enough consideration is the "dew point". We talk about air born moisture and temperature (relatively humidity) - but at what temperature will that Rh condense. If the surface temp of a cigar drops to the dew point - moisture will condense on the cigar - which is of course - 100% surface humidity and will support amplified mold growth.

The mold spores need two things to move into the amplified growth stage - Moisture and food. The food is any organic material.

Mold digests food outside it's body - so, the spores need to land on an organic surface that has surface moisture - they extrude the digestive chemicals and then intake the digested food and begin to grow.

If you remove the moisture - the mold will go dormant.

To kill the mold - even with something as strong as chlorine bleach - it has to be in a diluted water solution. The mold will "be happy" at the extra moisture and do it's thing - which brings the disinfectant (chlorine in this case) inside the cell walls which will kill the organism.

Bottom line - I don't get overly concerned about the white mold on a cigar - not if the cigar itself feels wet - then I don't want it because the cigar is bad - not because it had a bit of white mold on it.


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## hamncheese (Oct 5, 2006)

Great posts, Joe! This explanation is concise and fantastic :tu


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## vicvitola (Mar 18, 2008)

Thanks for the excellent info Joe! :tu


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## floydp (Jun 6, 2004)

Words of wisdom from our own joed. Joe is one of the main reasons I don't fret so much about my cigars. Thanks Joe for clarifying some things about mold. I've had to dust off a few cigars in the last couple years with no ill effects to the taste of a cigar or any health issues from smoking them. Spot on brother.


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## yourchoice (Jun 25, 2006)

Glad I came back to visit this thread. Great information Joe, thanks for the concise and completely understandable explanation!


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## mtb996 (Apr 5, 2006)

Wow. Great, informative information!:tu 
Thanks


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